Signal system for railways.



No. 643,666,. Patented Feb. 20, I900. K. W. MANSFIELD &. W. R. THOMPSON.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS. v

(Application filed Apr. 6, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 SheetsShaet l.

A TTOHNEYJ' THE NORRIS Pmns co. PHoTourNm, WASnINGTON, u. c.

No. 643,666. Patented Feb. 20, I900. K. W. MANSFIELD &. W. R. THOMPSON.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR BAILWAYS.

(Application filed Apg. 6, 1899.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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No. 643,666. Patented Feb. 20, I900. K. W. MANSFIELD 8:. W. R. THOMPSON.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR BAILWAYS.

(Application filed Apr. 6, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets8heet 3.

L WITNESSES INV TOHS %M 2%;% 27:

l M BY A TTOHNEYS THE NORRKS FETERS co. FHOTO-EITMQ. WASHKNGTON, u, c.

No. 643,666. Patented Feb. 20, I900.

K. W. MANSFIELD G. W. R. THOMPSON. SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

' (Application flied Apr. 6, 1899.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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WITNESSES INVE TOR-S ATTORNE m."

No. 643,666. Patented Feb. 20, I900.

K. W. MANSFIELD 8. W. R; THOMPSON. SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR BAILWAYS.

(Application filed Am. 6, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

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A TTORNEYJ THE NORRIS PETER? co. PHQIQLVTHQ, WASHINGTON. a c.

UNITE STATES PATENT Fries.

KING W'ILLIAM MANSFIELD AND WILLIAM RICHARD THOMPSON, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,666, dated February 20, 1900.

Application filed April 6, 1899. Serial No. 711,949. No model.)

To whom, 7125 may concern.-

Be it known that we, KING WILLIAM MANS- FIELD and WILLIAM RICHARD THOMPSON, citizens of the United States, residing at South Norwalkfin the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Systems for Railways, of which the following is a full.

and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to signal systems for single-track trolley-railways; and one object thereof is to provide an improved electrical signal system for railways of this class in which the signals are preferably operated by the trolley-arms of the cars, a further object being to provide a signal system of the class specified which is-designed to serve as a block system; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing our improved signal system applied; Fig.2, an end view looking in the direction of the arrow :0 and showing a car in position and the rails of the track in section; Fig. 3, a sectional front elevation of two of the signals which we employ, the signal-boxes being in section, so as to show the apparatus and method of lining or wiring the same; Fig. 4, a side view of one of the signal-boxes looking in the direction of the arrowy of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5, a View similar to Fig. 3, but showing one of the signalboxes on an enlarged scale, so as to better show the interior construction and arrangement of the parts.

In the drawings forming part of this specification the separate parts of our improvement are designated by the same reference characters in each of the views, and in said drawings, reference being made to Fig. 1, we have shown at aa section of a trolley wire or conductor used in connection with a singletrack trolley-railway and at b the wires of two turnouts, where cars going in opposite directions can pass. In Fig. 2 we have shown a transverse section of one of the turnouts, in which the rails of the track are designated by the reference-letter c, and mounted on one of the tracks is a car d, and in the practice of our invention where but two of the turnouts are employed we secure adjacent to the ends of said turnouts a base or support (2, each of which is provided with a signal-box f. For the purposes of this description that part of the track between the turnouts will be referred to as a block and the signal-boxes (shown in Fig. 3) as the left-hand and right-hand signal-box, and mounted in the lower portion of each of these signal-boxes are solenoids g and h, said solenoids being of the usual form and being also provided with a slidable core or armature 7a, which operates in connection with both solenoids of each pair and to which is secured an arm Z; The arm Z projects vertically and is provided at its upper end with a roller m, which moves in a longitudinal slot n, formed in a lever 0, pivoted at 10 above the magnet g and extending transversely across the case, and the free end of which is provided with a pivoted link 1', which is pivotally connected with a lever s, which is pivotally supported at t and provided with a segmental gear-head at, which operates in connection with a beveled pinion w,secured to a shaft 7. The shafts 7 pass through the outer sides of the signalboxes, and secured to the outer end of each is a plate or support 8, which carries a signalarm 9, a frame having a colored glass 11, and an arm 12, provided with an adjustable weight 13, this construction being best shown in Fig. 4. Each of the signal-boxes is also provided, preferably, in each side and near the top thereof with a colored glass 14, and in the top of each of said boxes are two lights, preferably incandescent electric lights 15, which are supplied by a wire 16, connected with the trolley-supply cable or any suitable source of electrical supply and extending upwardly through the bottom of the signal box or boxes and connected with a fuse-block 17, provided withafuse 18, from which extendsalight-circuit wire 19, which passes through both lamps and connects with 'the ground through a ground branch wire 20, which connects with the main ground-wire 21 at the connectionplate 22.

The branch wires 1) of the turnouts are provided, respectively, near the adjacent ends of said turnouts with oblong yoke-shaped contact devices 23 and 24, which are supported thereon and insulated therefrom, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the contact device 23, and, as shown in the drawings, the contact device 23 at the right-hand end of the block is on the inner side of the turnout, while at the left-hand end of the block the contact device 23 is on the outer side of the turnout. The contact devices 23 are each provided with a wire 25, and these wires 25 enter the signal-boxes through the bottoms thereof and near the outer sides, as shown at 26, and each is connected with a binding-post 27 in the upper outer portions of the signal-boxes, and with these binding-posts 27 are connected wires 28, which connect electrically with the solenoids g, and other wires 29 also connect with the binding-posts 27, and the wires 29 extend downwardly through the bottom of the signal-boxes at 26 and connect with a conductor 30, secured to the posts 6. The contact devices 24 are provided with wires 31, which enter the bottoms of the signal-boxes near the adjacent sides thereof at 32 and are connected with binding-posts 33 above the solenoids h, and connected with the binding-posts are wires 34, which connect electrically with the solenoids h, and other wires 35 also connect with the binding-posts 33 and pass downwardly through the bottom of the box at 32 and connect with a conductor 36, secured to the posts 2. It is therefore seen that the contact devices 23 and solenoids g are connected in multiple and the contact devices 2t and solenoids h are also connected in multiple.

The solenoids g and hare each provided at its inner end with a wire 37, connected with the winding of said solenoids, and these wires 37 connect with the connection-plate 22 by means of binding-posts at the opposite ends thereof, andfrom this connection-plate extends the main ground-wire 21.

The car 61 (shown in Fig. 2) is provided with the usual trolley-arm 38, which carries the usual trolley-wheel 39, and this wheel in practice is adapted to enter the contact devices 23 and 24: and to complete the circuit through the wires 25 and 31, and the operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the following statement thereof.

Suppose a car be moving on the track in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. 1. The trolley-wheel 39 will enter the contact device 23 at the right of Fig. 1, and the circuit will be closed through the wire 25 into the adjoining signal-box and also through the wires 29 and 30 into the adjacent signal-box at the left. The solenoids 9 will both be simultaneously actuated, and the cores or armatures 7c, bearing the arms Z, will be drawn in the direction of said solenoids, this position of the parts being clearly shown in Fig. 3, and at the same time the signal-arm 9 and the frame 10, carrying the colored glass 11, are thrown into the danger position. (Shown in Figs. 3 and 4.) This operation, as will be observed,throws the signal at both ends of the block into the position indicating danger. As the train proceeds over the block or that portion of the line between the two turnouts and enters the next turnout contact is made with the contact device 24,and the circuit is closed through the wire 31 into the adjacent box and through the wires 35 and 36 into the box at the righthand end of the block. The solenoids h are now simultaneously actuated, the arms I are drawn toward said solenoids, the free ends of the levers 0 are drawn down, the levers s are operated, the segmental gear-heads u thereof arethrown upward, the shafts g are turned, and the signal-arm 9 and frame 10 are thrown down out of the danger position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. A car moving in the opposite direction, or as indicated by the arrows .2 z, operates the signalboxes in exactly the same manner, the current being conducted into' the boxes through the wires 25 and 31 and the signals being set to danger position and turned out of danger position as the car enters the block between the turnouts and leaves said block. It will therefore be seen that no matter in which direction the car is movingit sets the signal at the opposite ends of the block between the turnouts to the danger position just before it leaves the turnouts and immediately after entering the next turnout turns the signal out of the danger position.

It will thus be seen that the armature-core cannot be moved except by the solenoids h and g and that in either positionof said armature the devices which operate the solenoids or signal-shaft 7 are locked and said shaft cannot be turned in either direction except as the armature-core 7c is moved in opposite directions by the solenoids.

It will be seen that our improved signal system may be applied to a trolley-line of any desired length and embracing any number of blocks with their terminal turnouts, each of which is provided with the apparatus above described.

Our improved signal system is simple in construction and operation and perfectly adapted to accomplish the result for which it is intended, and the entire apparatus is operated automatically by the car or cars and does not demand any special attention on the part of the trainmen.

Having fully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a signal apparatus of the class described, asignal-box provided with signal lights and glasses in the opposite sides thereof,

IIO

ashaftpassingthrough one side of said box and provided at its outer end with a signal-arm, and a signal-glass, and also with a weighted arm, the weight of which is adjustable, a lever mounted in said box and adapted to turn said shaft, another lever pivotally connected with said first-named lever and provided with a longitudinal slot, two solenoids mounted beneath said last-named lever and provided with a longitudinally-movable armature-core which operates in connection with both of said solenoids, an arm connected with said armature-core and operating in connection with the slot in said last-named lever, and means for actuating said solenoids, substantially as shown and described.

'2. In a signal apparatus of the class described, a signal-box provided with a signallight, and a glass in the sides thereof, a shaft passing through one side of said box and provided at its outer end with a weighted arm, a signal-arm and a signal-glass frame, said signal-glass frame being adapted to operate in connection with said light and with the glass in the side of said box, and means for operating said shaft consisting of a lever pivoted in said box and geared in connection therewith, a pair of solenoids in said box provided with a common armature, and means for actuatingsaid solenoids, substantially as shown and described.

3. A signal apparatus, comprising two signal-boxes, each of which is provided with signal devices, a pair of solenoids mounted in each of said boxes, and provided with a common armature in operative connection with the corresponding signal devices, said solenoids being connected electrically in two multiple sets, each of which includes one of the solenoids in each signal-box, and devices electrically connected with each of said multiple sets through which a trolley-arm or other device may establish a closed electrical circuit, substantially as shown and described.

4. A signal apparatus, comprising two signal-boxes each of which is provided with pivoted signal devices, a pair of solenoids, an armature common to both of said solenoids, a lever pivoted in said box and in operative connection with said armature, a second lever pivoted adjacent said first lever, and pivotally connected therewith and operatively connected with said pivoted signal devices, said solenoids being connected electrically in two multiple sets, each of which includes one of the solenoids in each signal-box, and devices electrically connected with each of said multiple sets and through which a trolley-arm or other device may establish a closed electrical circuit, substantially as shown and de: scribed.

5. A signal system of the class described, comprising two signal-boxes, each of which is provided with pivotal signal devices, a pair of solenoids mounted in each of said boxes and provided with a common armature in operative connection with said signal devices, said solenoids being electrically connected in two multiple sets, each of which includes one of the solenoids in each sig'nal-box, the relative arrangement and construction being such that an energizing electrical current of short duration passed through one of said sets will operate said signal devices in both boxes to cause them to move into and remain in a pre* determined position and a similar current of short duration passed through the other of said sets will operate said signal devices in both boxes to retract them from said prede= termined position, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 1st day of April, 1899.

KING WILLIAM MANSFIELD. WILLIAM RICHARD THOMPSON. Witnesses:

JACOB M. LAYTON, JAMES PAUL. 

